Early Steps to School Success - Save the Children

Early Steps to School Success - Save the Children:

Early Steps to School Success

Jennifer Garner visits Save the Children Programs in California. Watch the video above. Make Preschool a Priority TAKE ACTION Growing Up in America All children are born ready to learn, but for 16 million children living in poverty in America, they enter school unready to succeed. Actor Jennifer Garner visits with school children who are participants of a Save the Children reading program at LBJ Elementary School in, Kentucky. Photo by David Stephenson Before even walking through the classroom door, American children living in poverty have already fallen behind in school. By age 4, children from low-income families are up to 18 months behind their peers developmentally. A child's brain is already 80 % formed by age 3; 90 % by age 5. But children in poverty are less likely to attend preschool and often live in households where early learning activities are few and far between. Closing the Achievement Gap before It Starts The best way to ensure all children have a fair chance at a brighter future is to give each child the opportunity to learn and grow early on. Our Early Steps to School Successprogram lays a critical foundation of language and literacy skills for children from birth to age 5, so they can enter school ready to succeed. Through home visits, book exchanges, parenting groups, and an emphasis on transition to school, Early Steps staff helps children with language, social and emotional development, and equips parents and caregivers with the skills to successfully support children's growth. Jennifer Garner Advocates for Education Jennifer Garner, actor and mother of three, has been an advocate for Save the Children's early education programs. In places like Garner's home state of West Virginia, where generational poverty is a barrier to children's success, early childhood education is fundamental to breaking the cycle of poverty. "[Advocating], to me, is one of the most important actions we can undertake," she said. Together, Save the Children and Jennifer Garner are working to ensure that every child in America has access to quality education from cradle to cap and gown. In the News Actor Jennifer Garner and Save the Children's Mark Shriver advocate for legislation that equalizes early childhood education. Watch the interview on CNN below. Education Secretary Arne Duncan visited rural Kentucky to showcase the benefits of preschool education. Read the Article Huffington Post Blogs America Can't Afford to Waitlist Its Children's Future —Mark Shriver A Shoulder to Lean on When Moms Need It Most— Jennifer Garner When Children are Born Learning — Susan A. Buffett Dream Weavers: Why Early Childhood Education Matters — Manny Chirico  It's Common Sense to Come Together for Our Kids — Chris Dodd & Dr. Bill First America's Kids Start Learning Way Before Kindergarten — Jim Steyer Early Steps Across the States Fact Sheets Early Steps to School Success Program State Specific Program Fact Sheets Alabama Arkansas Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Mississippi Nebraska Nevada South Carolina Tennessee Washington Washington DC West Virginia

UPDATE: School District court case opens up questions about 'pay to play' | Philadelphia Public School Notebook

School District court case opens up questions about 'pay to play' | Philadelphia Public School Notebook:

School District court case opens up questions about 'pay to play'

by Helen Gym on Nov 13 2013 Posted in Commentary

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“Pay to play” is a universally reviled practice in government, but that’s effectively what the District's legal argument would establish through its challenge of an Open Records case in state court.

For more than ten months, Parents United for Public Education and our lawyers at the Public Interest Law Center have been fighting to make public the Boston Consulting Group’s list of 60 school closings and the criteria it used for those closings. In 2012, BCG contracted with the William Penn Foundation to provide “contract deliverables,” one of which was identifying a list of 60 public schools for closure. William Penn Foundation solicited donations for this contract, including some from real estate developers and those promoting charter expansion. The “BCG list” was referenced by former Chief Recovery Officer Thomas Knudsen in public statements. But District officials refused to release the list, stating it was an internal document and therefore protected from public review.

Last spring, Parents United and PILCOP won our case with the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records, largely because the District appears to have shared the BCG list with top officials at the William Penn Foundation. Now, the District is taking its challenge to state court.

District officials aren’t just going to court to block the release of the BCG list. They want to completely redefine what it means to declare a document internal. In particular, the District's arguments show that it believes that certain and selectively defined groups -- specifically donors -- can essentially buy their way to specialized access otherwise denied to the rest of the public.

Here’s their rationale.

“William Penn Foundation’s role was that of a grantor who funded the second phase of BCG’s consultant services. As grantor, the philanthropic entity had the right – and indeed an 

After counselors, District brings back assistant principals, teachers, secretaries

With the $45 million in state aid released by Gov. Corbett, Superintendent William Hite has restored 40 additional positions to schools. Nearly half of those, 19, are assistant principals. The 40 are in addition to 80 counselors that were restored earlier. The Notebook calculates that with each position costing approximately $100,000 (the assistant principals cost closer to $150,000 each, includin

1 by Dale Mezzacappa / 8min 

Students risk a lot to buy into charismatic principal's vision

by Kevin McCorry for NewsWorks Anthony Majewski learned at an early age what it means to lose trust in the powers that be. As a 6th grader, he says he was "jacked up" by a math teacher who told him he was "never going to be anybody." "Like, he actually jacked me up, and put me up against the wall, 'cause I don't sit still too well," Majewski said, chuckling. "I d

1 by thenotebook / 12min 

Notes from the news, Nov. 13

​Witness tells how charter's documents were doctored. Inquirer Philadelphia schools see cash in old classrooms. NY Times William Penn alums want to revive shuttered school. Daily News Philly guidance counselors transferred to teaching duty. NewsWorks Who are the educational reformers and why should anyone listen to them? NewsWorks McCall school’s partnerships give students tools to succeed. Tribune Volunteers open doors to reading for grade schoolers. Tribune This Penn student cofounded a national network of high school hackathons. Technically Philly How an independent political party helped r

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Advice for parents: Creating an effective Individualized Education Program

by Anne L. Hunter                  First grader Anthony Powell Jr. can’t live without supportive services. Without them, he – like many other children with autism – he has nothing to steady him. Dawn Powell, Anthony’s mother, remembers his first bus ride to preschool at the Center for Autism. “He had to have someone sit next to him because he would take the seatbelt off and rise from his seat. It was a whole bunch of issues,” she said. “Anthony will try everything and anything he can. His challenge is to learn boundaries.” read more

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YESTERDAY

Philly guidance counselors transferred to teaching duty

by Kevin McCorry for NewsWorks Wanda Raudenbush does not consider herself a teacher. Yet for the first two months of school, she woke up every school day, went to Fox Chase Elementary School, and willed herself to teach 4th grade. For the four years before this, she was a guidance counselor. This year, she was a teacher. Image:  Image Caption:  Wanda Raudenbush and 37 of her guidance cou

8 by thenotebook / 23h 

Notes from the news, Nov. 12

District, Catholic, charter schools share applications. Inquirer Activist spearheads movement for historical marker at old Edison High. Liberty City Press Dystopian Philly schools now physically, not just psychologically, unhealthy. Philly Mag Philadelphian comes clean on "How I Helped Teachers Cheat." Daily News Teaching physics with felt. Edutopia Charter school eyed by FBI, Pa. watchd

2 by thenotebook / 1d mark as read  //  save

FCMAT » Cali Education Headlines Wednesday, November 13, 2013

FCMAT » Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance Team:

LAUSD proposal to shift federal poverty money fails

Education Headlines

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

New law makes it harder for parents to resist child vaccines

School nurses in Orange County are preparing for a new state law that will make it harder for parents to opt out of vaccinating their children.

Palm Springs Unified School District considers changing to zoned elections

If the Palm Springs Unified school board adopts proposed trustee areas, current board members Justin Blake and Karen Cornett will have to face off if they both seek re-election.

Coachella Valley Unified to hold special meeting on Arabs mascot

The Coachella Valley Unified School Board will hold a special meeting on Friday to discuss the Coachella Valley High School “Arab,” a longstanding mascot that has been criticized by a national anti-discrimination group.

Enochs pool contract, Munn case up for Modesto City Schools vote today

The Enochs Pool contract and approval of the district’s first charter school will be up for a vote today by the Modesto City Schools board. First, however, board members are scheduled to take a final vote on firing Modesto High campus supervisor Jackie Munn, whose case has become a cause for many.

Denair Unified to discuss superintendent search, financial troubles

The Denair Unified School District board will meet at 5:30 p.m. Thursday to appoint a superintendent search advisory committee. After a closed-door session, the board will reconvene at 7 p.m. to hold its regular meeting, which will include a financial update and a second certification that without making cuts in spending, the district will run out of money before year’s end.

Adams: New law raises awareness of concussions in student athletes

As the high school football season winds to a close and players prepare to put their helmets away, athletic officials are hoping that a new law requiring coaches to be trained to spot concussions in players has made the high-contact game, and all youth sports, safer.

State releases second half of $1.25 billion in Common Core funding

In the Bay Area, Alameda County schools and districts will receive nearly $34.5 million total, Contra Costa County will get about $44.2 million, San Mateo County will receive about $18.8 million and Santa Clara County will reap nearly $55 million.

LAUSD moving to next phase of iPad program

Los Angeles Unified moved forward Tuesday with the second phase of its plan to equip students with iPads, but added a pilot test of laptops — a signal that the district’s ambitious technology project may extend beyond tablet computers.

LAUSD proposal to shift federal poverty money fails

A plan to divert federal money from Los Angeles Unified schools with the highest poverty rates to those with moderate levels failed Tuesday after the school board split 3-3 and one member abstained rather than break the tie.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Coachella Valley High Arabs mascot performs at rivalry football game

The “Arab” danced and the crowd cheered, brimming with school pride in spite of a highly publicized mascot controversy, or perhaps because of it.

Weintraub: Making sure disadvanted kids don’t get lost in the reform shuffle

With little fanfare and probably not much notice from the public, California is about to suspend a generation of far-reaching school reforms whose intentions were ambitious but whose outcomes were never entirely clear.

Newport-Mesa students learn at home and do at school

You won’t get in trouble in Candice Woods’ class for using your smartphone or tablet – as long as you’re using it to get caught up on the latest math lesson. Woods is using a so-called flipped teaching method, in which students watch her videotaped lectures on an iPad for homework and do interactive, hands-on activities in class the next day.

CORONA: Students taste-test district food

About 100 students from 11 schools, plus two parent teacher groups and district staff members agreed to test the foods at the invitation of Amanda Colon, nutrition services coordinator.

UPDATE: Versions of the MMAC Proposal For New Orleans-Style “Recovery School District” Underway in Three Other States | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!

Versions of the MMAC Proposal For New Orleans-Style “Recovery School District” Underway in Three Other States | Larry Miller's Blog: Educate All Students!:

Versions of the MMAC Proposal For New Orleans-Style “Recovery School District” Underway in Three Other States

Filed under: Recovery District — millerlf @ 10:20 am 

For the past two years, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce has been talking about introducing a New Orleans-style Recovery School District (RSD). Recently, the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute proposed the same idea in a report titled “Pathway to success for Milwaukee schools.”

WPRI’s proposal describes this as an independent school district, made up of schools identified as underperforming, chartered directly by the state and answering to an independent superintendent, who would in turn report to the state Department of Public Instruction.

Recovery School District Models Adopted in Michigan, Tennessee and Virginia:

Michigan: Michigan is now in its second full year of operating schools under what it calls an Education Achievement Authority (EAA). The statewide school system, which took charge of 15 schools in Detroit, started in the 2012-13 school year.

Michigan’s EAA resembles the RSD in many respects. The lowest-performing five percent of Michigan schools, operating in a district under an emergency manager, qualify for admission. This language is clearly aimed at Detroit, with 39 of its schools qualifying at the time of enactment. The emergency manager for Detroit public schools can designate Detroit schools into the EAA; outside Detroit the decision is made by the state superintendent of education.

Schools will remain in the EAA for five years. At that point they will be evaluated and those that meet performance standards will have the option to 


Renowned Educational Researcher to Speak on Voucher Schools, Accountability

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1 by millerlf / 7min 

Voucher Activists Says Voucher and Charter Expansion “is of little educational merit.”

Mike Ford, Assistant Professor of Public Administration at UW-Oshkosh, recently gave a slide show on the history and progress of Milwaukee vouchers and charters. Professor Ford has been active in the choice movement and written for the conservative think-tank, Wisconsin Policy Research Institute. Following is a link to his slide show presentation. He ended his presentation with the following slide

1 by millerlf / 21min 

11-13-13 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum:

Upcoming Board Meetings

I was not Able to Attend the Executive Committee meeting This Morning but Board staff were kind enough to give me the handouts (thanks Lily and Teresa). As a heads up, a couple of things from the Legislative Agenda (aka School Board agenda). - November 20th. The Growth Boundaries discussion / vote Action is the fifth item on the agenda. Two items ahead of it will likely go quickly but the Special Ed

by Melissa Westbrook / 13min 

Pinehurst Fights Back

Parents do the work to defend their schools and Pinehurst is challenging the per student figure for Pinehurst students versus other students.As usual, parents step up with extensive research.  Pinehurst is no exception and here is a letter to Superintendent Banda asking for an explanation of the costs announced to the Board per student at Pinehurst versus other K-8s.The claim in the Superintendent

by Melissa Westbrook / 19min 

Growth Boundaries PTA Meeting Last Night

 Board Amendment Work SessionWed. November 13th, 5:30 pmJohn Stanford Center for Excellent Education at 3rd and Lander in SoDoThis will be the first preview of proposed, first-draft Board Director Amendments.  Note that whatever is presented today may not see daylight in the end.  The Seattle Council PTSA hosted a meeting last night with district staff.  Here is what one person heard:"It is c

2 by Melissa Westbrook / 19min 

Mea Culpa

"The Mann thing has had a clear affect on you.  That comment, in which you hinted about the identify of an anonymous commenter, is something a couple of years ago, you came on someone else about.  It was a wrong turn."Those are the words Charlie wrote to me and he is right.  The sadness and frustration I feel over the Mann situation should not have colored my judgment.  It's not an excus

by Melissa Westbrook / 22min 

KIRO-TV's Second Part of their Investigation into District Spending

KIRO ran the second part of their series last night.   This part was around the part of the district audit used by their team that dealt with use of district vehicles and gasoline.  I was interviewed and make a statement about being disappointed that the oversight isn't better.  This part is as sobering as the first one.  (I know that there are a variety of opinions on this series but that the dis

by Melissa Westbrook / 10min  

11-12-13 Seattle Schools Community Forum

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Tuesday Open ThreadI was fortunate enough to go to the ACLU dinner on Saturday night and they premiered a new promo by Macklemore for ACLU.  It's pointedly funny (he is, as he says, a rapper) and effective.From Gizmodo, a pretty great domino smackdown featuring a card trick and imploding domino structures - show the kids.Also for the kids about resiliency, Doodleal

by mike simpson / 23h 

Educators Flunk the School Grading System in Indiana - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Educators Flunk the School Grading System in Indiana - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:

Educators Flunk the School Grading System in Indiana

By Anthony Cody on November 13, 2013 10:15 AM

Where is Tony when you Need Him?

One of the legacies of corporate reformer Tony Bennett in Indiana is a system by which schools are assigned a letter grade, based largely on test scores. The State Board of Education is considering making changes to this system, and last week held a public hearing. Today, I am sharing the testimony of three educators who spoke out. You can view video of the entire hearing here. (The public hearing is on the first video posted there.)

Dr. Vic Smith: Four Flaws in the System

Last month in the Oct. 2nd State Board meeting, the discussion of the A-F system implemented last October ignored the system's flaws that led the General Assembly to pass HEA 1427 saying "Not later than November 15, 2013, the state board shall establish new categories or designations of school performance under the requirements of this chapter to replace 511 IAC 6.2-6. "

It is truly sad that Indiana's schools are soon to be graded using a system that has lost the confidence of both the General Assembly and the general public.  The flaws that led the General Assembly to void the system include the following:

Flaw #1:  It is based primarily on the percent passing, rather than on improvement as PL221 called for.  That creates an incentive to give extra attention to students near the pass line, the so-called "bubble" kids, to try to get them over the pass line in the next test. 

Flaw #2:  The bonuses for growth are anemic compared to